App Download Sizes on Google Play are Clearer

If you have limited storage on your phone, it’s important to know the file size of apps before downloading them. If the app is too large, the phone won’t be able to download it. A message indicating ‘insufficient storage’ will appear, and you’ll be forced to delete other apps on the phone to make room for the new one.

Google Play added new file size information to apps that might prevent impossible download attempts. The new information listed for each app includes the download size for installs and updates. Previously, the size of the APK file was listed for each app. This is usually smaller than the actual disk space required to run the app. This also differs from the download size. The new information may not address the ‘insufficient storage’ message that shows up when there isn’t enough disk space to download an app. The download size should include the additional disk space required to store the app to be useful for customers.

Google Play made other improvements to the size of apps. Updates are smaller due to a new algorithm. Usually, only the changes to apps are downloaded. This is much smaller than the whole app. The delta algorithm ‘bsdiff’ reduces updates by an additional 50%. Uncompressed files will be reduced by a smaller amount (5%). APK expansion files also benefit from the new algorithm. The install size is reduced by 12% and updates are reduced by 65%.

Downloading apps is a seamless experience on most devices, but there are a few things that can go wrong. Storage space restrictions, ads, and malware can ruin the mobile app experience. Here’s some tips from Norton for safely downloading apps: